An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are presented in which the balance between image resolution and frame rate (Res/Speed) and the balance between image resolution and penetration (Pen/Gen/Res) are automatically adjusted in response to image content. A motion detector analyzes the relative motion between successive images. If the motion content is relatively high, the imaging parameters are changed in favor of relatively greater frame rate and reduced resolution. A low motion content causes the opposite adjustment. The electronic noise between successive images is also computed with a relatively high noise content (low correlation) in the far field resulting in an adjustment to penetration as by lowering the transmit frequency. A relatively low noise content causes an adjustment in favor of increased resolution.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for automatically adjusting a relationship between image resolution (Res) and depth of penetration (Pen) of an ultrasound system comprising: acquiring a plurality of ultrasound images over time; calculating a correlation in a region in a far field of temporally different ultrasound images of the plurality of ultrasound images and a correlation in at least one other region located elsewhere in the temporally different ultrasound images; comparing the correlation of the region in the far field with the correlation of the at least one other region to determine a difference in the correlations, wherein the difference in the correlations is due to electronic noise; and automatically adjusting image parameters of the ultrasound system based on the comparing, wherein the adjusting the image parameters comprises increasing the image resolution if the correlation in the far field is not lower than the correlation in the at least one other region and increasing the depth of penetration if the correlation in the far field is lower than the correlation in the at least one other region, wherein automatically adjusting image parameters comprises: adjusting drive signals provided by a transmit frequency control circuit to increase a transmit frequency of an array transducer when the correlation in the far field is not lower than the correlation in the at least one other region, wherein increasing the transmit frequency increases the image resolution of the temporally different ultrasound images; and adjusting the drive signals to decrease the transmit frequency when the correlation in the far field is lower than the correlation in the at least one other region, wherein decreasing the transmit frequency increases the penetration.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporally different ultrasound images are successively acquired images and wherein the difference in the correlations is due to a decorrelation of electronic noise in the far field.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the comparing shows a relatively low correlation in the far field and a relatively high correlation in the at least one other region, an operating frequency of the ultrasound system is automatically decreased, and when the comparison shows a relatively high correlation in the far field and in the at least one other region, the operating frequency of the ultrasound system is automatically increased.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the image resolution comprises increasing at least one of the transmit or a receive frequency of the ultrasound system, and wherein increasing the depth of penetration comprises decreasing at least one of the transmit or receive frequency of the ultrasound system.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning the temporally different ultrasound images prior to calculating the correlations.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound system includes a Pen/Gen/Res control display of the relationship between the image resolution and the depth of penetration; and further comprising automatically adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display in correspondence with a change made to a balance between the image resolution and the depth of penetration.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein increasing the image resolution comprises increasing an operating frequency of the ultrasound system; wherein increasing the depth of penetration comprises decreasing the operating frequency of the ultrasound system; and wherein automatically adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display comprises adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display toward Pen when the operating frequency is decreased and adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display toward Res when the operating frequency is increased.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein automatically adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display comprises adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display toward Pen when fundamental frequency operation is performed and adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display toward Res when harmonic operation is performed.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the operating frequency comprises at least one of the transmit frequency or a receive frequency of the ultrasound system.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising manually adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display to adjust a manner in which automatic adjustments to the balance between resolution and penetration will be made.
11. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system comprising: a probe including an array transducer; a transmit frequency control circuit configured to apply drive signals to the array transducer; a receiver configured to process signals received by the array transducer, wherein the receiver includes a B-Mode processor; a display coupled to the receiver and configured to display ultrasound images generated from the signals; a processor coupled to the probe and the transmit frequency control circuit, wherein the processor is configured to: calculate a correlation in a region in a far field of the ultrasound images and a correlation in at least one other region located elsewhere in the ultrasound images; and compare the correlation of the region in the far field and the correlation of the at least one other region, wherein a difference in the correlations is due to electronic noise; and a Pen/Gen/Res control display responsive to the processor and which is shown on the display and configured to depict a relative balance between image resolution and penetration of the ultrasound images, wherein the transmit frequency control circuit is further configured to: adjust the drive signals to increase a transmit frequency of the array transducer when the correlation in the far field is not lower than the correlation in the at least one other region, wherein increasing the transmit frequency increases the image resolution of the ultrasound images; and adjust the drive signals to decrease the transmit frequency when the correlation in the far field is lower than the correlation in the at least one other region, wherein decreasing the transmit frequency increases the penetration.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the correlations are calculated using a Pearson correlation.
13. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the difference in the correlations is due to a decorrelation of electronic noise in the far field.
14. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11 , wherein a receiver frequency of the receiver is different than the transmit frequency.
15. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the receiver frequency controlled by the receiver is independently controlled from the transmit frequency controlled by the transmit controller.
16. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the Pen/Gen/Res control display is automatically adjusted in correspondence with a change made to the relative balance between the image resolution and penetration of the ultrasound images.
17. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 16 , further comprising a control panel configured to receive a user input for manually adjusting the Pen/Gen/Res control display to adjust a manner in which automatic adjustments to the balance between the image resolution and the penetration will be made.
18. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the correlation is calculated using a Pearson correlation.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 18, 2009
February 23, 2021
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